The present disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus such as a pointing device for 3-dimensional operations, a remote controller for 3-dimensional operations, and a cellular phone, and a control method therefor.
In the related art, pointing devices, particularly a mouse and a touchpad, are used as controllers for GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) widely and mainly used in PCs (Personal Computers).
Not just as HIs (Human Interfaces) of PCs of the related art, the GUIs are now starting to be used as interfaces for AV equipment used in living rooms with televisions as image media. Examples of the HI of this type include a cross media bar, an EPG, an IP-TV, a windows Media Center, and the like.
As the HIs currently in wide use, there are remote controllers with arrow keys as extensions of remote controllers for AV equipment of the related art, for controlling the GUIs, but the operability thereof is poor since it is impossible to operate a cursor freely.
To solve this, a wireless mouse or the like may be used, but a table or the like to place the mouse becomes necessary for operating the mouse.
Patent Document 1 discloses “a 3-dimensional computer input apparatus performing 3-dimensional inputs to a computer, characterized by comprising: a direction sensing means for sensing changes in directions in space along three rotation axes (pitch, roll, and yaw); a displacement sensing means for sensing displacements along axes of at least two-dimensional coordinate systems out of an XYZ coordinate system set in a main body of the 3-dimensional computer input apparatus; and an electronic circuit connected to an input port of the computer, to convert output signals of the direction sensing means and the displacement sensing means so that the signals can be processed by the computer, and in that the direction sensing means is constituted of three gyroscopes corresponding to the three rotation axes (pitch, roll, and yaw), respectively, and the displacement sensing means is constituted of at least two acceleration sensors each corresponding to any of the XYZ axes”. Accordingly, unlike the mouse, the table or the like becomes unnecessary, and operations in the air become possible.
In the past, a 3-dimensional mouse capable of being operated in the air has calculated a movement amount of a cursor on a PC (Personal Computer) screen from a complex movement of a hand that moves 3-dimensionally. Therefore, the 3-dimensional mouse needs to be equipped with sensors such as an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor for detecting the hand movement (Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 6-7371 (claim 1 and claim 2)
However, because the 3-dimensional mouse as described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with many devices that consume more electric power than a desktop wireless mouse, it is difficult to suppress power consumption of the entire mouse and also prolong the battery life. An infrared sensor of the desktop wireless mouse only needs to detect values when the mouse is moving, but the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor of the 3-dimensional mouse needs to constantly detect values. Moreover, a relatively large current flows into those sensors, and hence more delicate power consumption control than the desktop wireless mouse becomes necessary.
Pointing devices that are operated in the air as described above are expected to be used wirelessly from now on as a mainstream.
However, since the number of sensors becomes large in the pointing device that is operated in the air as described in Patent Document 1, electric power consumed increases when trying to use it wirelessly.
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is desired an electronic apparatus and a control method therefor that are capable of reducing power consumption.